Study Shows Link Between Twitter Volume and TV Ratings

A line is drawn between Twitter buzz and those old-fashioned things we call ratings.

A new study conducted by Nielsen and social TV platform SocialGuide finds a correlation between Twitter traffic during live TV and a lift in television ratings.

According to the study, 80% of Americans who own a smartphone or tablet frequently use their devices while watching TV, and 40% of these people visit a social network while glued to the tube. Twitter says that two-thirds of its mobile users are active on the site while watching television.

Not surprisingly, the correlation between Twitter usage and ratings is higher among younger audiences, specifically 18- to 34-year-olds. Among this age group, an 8.5% increase in Twitter volume corresponds to a 1% increase in ratings for season premieres and a 4.2% increase in Twitter volume is linked to a 1% ratings boost for mid-season episodes.